FIRST IN PI … GAILEY JOINS BLUEPRINT:Blueprint Communications has hired Gretchen Gailey as a senior associate, the firm tells PI. Gailey most recently served as communications director for Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.). In addition to her Capitol Hill experience, Gailey has more than 10 years of experience as a journalist for NBC and Fox News Channel. Blueprint was formed by Chad Kolton and Jim Morrell in April of this year. The firm also recently added Lisa Camooso Miller.

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MOLLET JOINS CAPITOL COUNSEL: Lobbying firm Capitol Counsel has hired Brad Mollet as a principal. Mollet comes to the firm from his own shop, the Fleet Street Group. At Fleet Street, he focused on appropriations, agriculture, energy, and tax issues. He’s also a a Capitol Hill veteran, having worked for Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Rep. Betsy Markey (D-Colo.), where he most recently served as legislative director. “I have long admired the work Capitol Counsel has done on behalf of their clients. It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with such a distinguished D.C. firm,” said Mollet in a statement. “I look forward to helping the firm expand its footprint in appropriations, tax and agriculture policy.”

IFA, CHAMBER RELEASE ACA SURVEY: New research from the International Franchise Association and the U.S. Chamber finds that the 30-hour definition of a full time worker in the Affordable Care Act is forcing business — including may franchises — to cut hours for employees. A survey today conducted by Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies finds that 31 percent of franchises have already cut hours for employees. Twenty-seven percent of franchise and 12 percent of non-franchise businesses have already replaced full-time workers with part-time employees and identify the healthcare law as the reason. And 64 percent of managers and decision-makers in franchise-owned businesses believe the law will have a negative impact on their businesses. The two groups hope that the survey will bolster their lobbying campaign in favor of a bill that would change the definition of full-time back to 40 hours. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) have introduced the proposal in the Senate. “This research should serve as a major red flag to Congress and the administration that unless there is a statutory change to the definition of a full-time employee in the ACA, there will be fewer full-time jobs, more part-time workers and fewer overall hours available for Americans to work as business owners adjust their workforce to comply with the law,” said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira in a statement.

GOOD WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, where it’s been nine years to the day since rapper and producer Russell Tyrone Jones collapsed in a recording studio and was later pronounced dead. Jones’s full stage name is probably unprintable in a family publication like POLITICO — but he was known to fans by the shorthand ODB. He was a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, a successful solo artist, and an occasional producer. Send your lobbying news, gossip, tips, and scoops to btau@politico.com. And keep up with PI on Twitter by following @ ByronTau or @ PoliticoPI.

CLINTON WORLD TURNS OUT FOR FINANCE EVENT: Dozens of former Clinton aides and downtowners in their orbit turned up Tuesday in New York City for a Ready for Hillary conference. K Streeters in attendance: Adam Olsen of Sconset Strategies; Harold Ickes and Janice Enright of Ickes & Enright Group; Mike Stratton of Stratton & Associates; and David Jones of Capitol Counsel, according to a PI tipster. Other notables include John Podesta, Craig Smith, Democratic donor Barbara Lee, Lukin Gilliland, Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), former Puerto Rico Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila; former Clinton aide Ann Lewis, former Rep. Herb Klein (D-N.J.), Jay Snyder and Joe Paolino.

K STREET’S FIRST AMA? In what may be a first for K Street downtowners, Jack Quinn and John Feehery of QGA Public Affairs will be doing a Reddit AMA on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Reddit, a popular social networking and content sharing site, hosts frequent freewheeling online chats called AMAs, or “Ask Me Anything.” The pair are identified as “D.C. Super Lobbyists” on Reddit’s AMA schedule. They’re in good company: President Barack Obama hosted a Reddit AMA in 2012, along with dozens of celebrities, journalists, politicians and others. The link to the AMA will be listed here when it begnis: http://bit.ly/HMI5Ib

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BLUM JOINS MAIR STRATEGIES: Dan Blum is joining the boutique public affairs firm Mair Strategies. “In my new role I will be both helping to service current clients, and developing and servicing new clients for the firm. It is a very exciting opportunity for me and I can't wait to get started,” Blum writes in an email to friends and colleagues. Blum previously served as deputy campaign manager to Gov. Scott Walker during the 2012 recall election. He’s also done stints as director of rapid response communications for Sen. Rob Portman's 2010 campaign and held positions at the Republican National Committee, Senate Republican Conference, and elsewhere. He joins firm principal Liz Mair, and Mytheos Holt and Rek LeCounte at the firm. Mair Strategies was founded in 2011 and does work for mostly corporate clients in the retail, consumer goods, energy and technology spaces.

WEEMS JOINS DENTONS: Dentons announced Tuesday that Malcolm E. Weems, former director of the State of Illinois Central Management Services, has joined the firm as a senior adviser in its public policy and regulatory practice group. In this role, Weems will act as a liaison with state and local governments, but he will not lobby. "Malcolm has a track record of forging sustainable solutions at the highest levels of state government," said Mike McNamara, U.S. managing partner of Dentons. "Malcolm's significant experience with governmental entities and businesses across the US will be a tremendous asset to our firm."

A NOISY, SMELLY RECEPTION?: The International Fragrance Association, North America is hosting a Capitol Hill event on Wednesday to allow members of Congress and staff a chance to experience a series of fragrances inspired by music. Perfumer Calice Becker created a scent based on classical music, while Christopher Diienno used Depeche Mode, New Order and The Cure as the inspiration to create a scent representing 1980s rock. And perfumer Heather Sims has created a scent to correspond with Justin Timberlake’s recent "Suit and Tie" album. Fragrance bigwigs Robert Weinstein of Robertet, Richard Pisano of Citrus and Allied Essences, Kim Bleimann of Berjé, James Heinz of Bell Flavors & Fragrance, Fred Kritzer of Symrise and Andy O’Shea of Drom International will mingle with a number of members of Congress.

SPOTTED, TEAM USA EDITION: The 2013 Team USA Congressional Reception, sponsored by BP, was held Tuesday evening. Among the Olympians and Paralympians in attendance were Bonnie Blair, Mike Eruzione, Dorothy Hamill and Bradley Snyder. Sixteen members of Congress also attended including Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Olympic & Paralympic Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Jim Langevin, Sen. John Boozman and Sen. Michael Bennet. Among the K Street crowd: Desiree Filippone and Karen Irish from the USOC, Ryan Spangler, Rich Thomas and Jessica Herrera-Flanigan from Monument Policy Group, Mike Manatos from Manatos & Manatos, Dan Crane from Crane Group and Paul Brathwaite from the Podesta Group.

LAND HITS D.C.: Former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land will be in D.C. next week raising money for her U.S. Senate bid. A number of Republican senators are listed on the invite, including Sens. Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Jerry Moran, Rob Portman, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and others. The ask for the Capitol Hill reception is $5,000 for leadership PACs. For individuals and PACs, the reception is asking between $1000 and $10,400 to chair, host or attend.

NRF HOSTS TAX REFORM MEMBER EVENT: Executives and representatives from over 70 retail companies participated in a National Retail Federation webinar on Wednesday to discuss comprehensive tax reform. Led by NRF Vice President and Tax Counsel Rachelle Bernstein, the session covered various tax reform proposals and discussion drafts circulating around town. NRF has been vocally pushing for lower rates and a simpler tax code as part of any tax reform process. NRF has also scheduled a slate of member fly-ins and lobbying days to push their tax reform agenda.

SEYMOUR JUMPS TO FACEBOOK: Via POLITICO’s Morning Tech: Facebook is announcing this morning that Don Seymour, a longtime aide to Speaker John Boehner, is joining the social network's D.C. staff as political outreach manager. Seymour, who's most recently been a deputy communications director for Boehner and has helped lead the office's digital efforts, will be in charge of helping lawmakers boost their presence on Facebook.

ELSEWHERE IN THE INFLUENCE WORD:

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TIP: Pakistan lets its FARA contract with Locke Lord lapse, meaning they’re without a K Street firm. The Hill: http://bit.ly/HTJY6p

VICE RUMBLE: The alcohol trade world is upset at the pot lobby for its new anti-alcohol campaign. “We’re not against legalization of marijuana, we just don’t want to be vilified in the process,” one lobbyist told the National Journal. Bloomberg with a cute item: http://buswk.co/1aTqFWXNational Journal: http://bit.ly/1eM73po

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE:MotherJones looks at the political intelligence industry: http://bit.ly/HR9Qj3

FOLLOW THE MONEY: Public Campaign looks at who is donating to the budget conferees: http://bit.ly/1co1pVm

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CORRECTION: A previous version of POLITICO Influence misstated the day the National Retail Federation webinar was held. It was Wednesday.

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AF&PA is the national trade association dedicated to advancing a sustainable U.S. pulp, paper, packaging, tissue and wood products manufacturing industry through fact-based public policy and marketplace advocacy. AF&PA supports market-based policies and regulations that foster economic growth, job creation and international competitiveness in this vital sector.

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